Harry Potter Graduation
by xanimefanx14x
Summary: This isn't much, it's something I did for a facebook thing, but it was really fun to read. It's the HP graduation of the golden trio. Little bit of Drarry, but nothing serious. Enjoy! Sorry for typos...
1. Chapter 1

Warning: THis story is based on the realization that Snape and Dumbledore are not dead, but Harry knows Snape has been good the whole time. Voldemort is dead, but no important characters on our side were killed. Ever. Don't ask. (Actually, the Potter parents must remain dead. Sorry!) Things will happen in this story that actually happened in the series, but they will happen in a different way. Also, a little bit of Drarry, but nothing serious. Enjoy!

"Blimey Harry, wake up! You're going to be bloody late for graduation!" Ron yelled at his bunkmate Harry, startling the boy out of a deep reverie.

"What the..." He jumped out of bed and began to throw his graduation robe on.

"Haha, relax, mate, I was just fooling. But really, it's time for breakfast, so you would have had to get up anyway. Let's go, then!" Ron leaped from his bed to Harry's and forced him out the door. Harry stumbled through the Gryffindor Common Room, and finally got a footing in the middle. There were people everywhere, including the family members of students and previous students themselves. Many people had been allowed to stay in the castle so that they could stay with their graduating loved ones, and keep an eye on them after the fall of Voldemort. No one really wanted to let anyone else out of their sight.

"Why aren't you two buffoons not at breakfast yet?" yelled a familiar voice from the female part of the dormitories. Hermione made her appearance, precariously balancing a dozen books in her arms.

"We could ask the same of you. What are you doing with all of those books? Classes are over, if you remember, adn all three of us have somewhere we need to be," Harry reminded her, earning a scowl.

"Oh, like I don't know that already. I just have to return a few books to the library, adn then I'll meet you in the Great Hall, all right?" She somehow managed to wave goodbye adn gave Ron a peck on the cheek before turning away.

"Later, Harry. Bye, 'Won-won'." Now it was Ron's turn to scowl.

"She's never going to let that go, is she?" he asked Harry as they watched their best friend hustle away.

"I don't know. I mean, it was one of the worst mistakes of your life," Harry joked. "Come on, I'm starving."

The duo left the Common Room and headed straight for the Great Hall. On the way, they met up with Fred and George, who were trying to sell Nose-bleed Nougats to unsuspecting first-years.

"Hello, Harry, Ron," the twins said in unison.

Harry and Ron gaped at them. They were wearing Gryffindor graduation robes, the gold and red accentuating their Weasley hair.

"What are you doing here? And why are you wearing those robes? You aren't gradiating." Ron asked his brothers.

"What?" George asked, pointing to the place where his ear had been. "Sorry, I can't hear you."

"Oh, bugger off, George."

"Actually, brother, we are graduating. The Ministry, as it is now, is making us, so Dumbledore's letting us graduate with you, albeit two years later than normal," Fred clarified for Harry and Ron.

"So where did you get the robes on such short notice?" Harry asked absentmindedly.

"Your rooms," the twins said together, then ran off.

"OI! Come back here!" Ron yelled as her followed his mischievous brothers. "I'll meet you in the Great Hall!" he yelled over his shoulder to Harry.

Harry shrugged. He didn't mind, now that he'd finally get some time to himself for the first time since... Well, a long time.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry roamed the halls of Hogwarts, taking the long route to the Great Hall. By the time Ron and Hermione made it there, they'd all be getting there at the same time as Harry, anyway.

He stopped walking as he happened to glance into the courtyard and see Draco Malfoy sitting by himself. He had been allowed to stay at Hogwarts based on the testimonies of his family, Harry, and Dumbledore himself, all of them saying that Draco had no choice and didn't want to do what he did in the first place. Of course, after graduation, he'd be in some trouble, but for now, he was ok.

"Hey, Malfoy, don't you have somewhere to be?" Harry called out to the white-haired boy.

"Hello, Potter. What are you doing out here?" Draco asked curiously. "I thought that everyone was in the Great Hall."

"So did I." The boys laughed for a moment, and then were again silent.

"Where's Goyle?" Hary ventured. He knew that the death of his loyal "friend" (though he was almost a servant) Crabbe had shaken Draco enormously, though the Slytherin was too strong to show it. Harry, having learned to hide his emotions from birth, knew that Draco was holding a lot inside of him.

"Beats me. I haven't seen him since... the Battle."

"I'm sorry about Crabbe, Draco, really I am. I would have saved him if I could have."

Draco stared at the boy he had been envious of for years, partly in shock that Harry had used his first name, partly in confusion.

"Why?" he asked.

"Why what?" Harry surmised. "Why am I sorry abotu Crabbe, or why would I have saved him?"

"Both, I guess."

"Well, for one, he didn't completely deserve that manner of death. He was under the corruption of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. You were strong enough to know what was right, even under the circumstances. Crabbe wasn't."

Draco blinked.

"And I'm sorry about his death because I can see how it's hurting you, and I don't like to see you like this. What happened to the pompous jerk that I fought with through all these years?"

Draco laughed, though he wondered about Harry's statement about not wanting to see Draco hurt.

"A lot has happened since then, Harry..." Draco leaned back on the bench and sighed.

"Oh, so now we're on a first name basis, are we?" Harry asked kiddingly. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"You started it first."

Harry paused, then looked back on the conversation.

"Hmmm. I guess I did. Well, come on, Draco Malfoy, let's go eat some breakfast. I'm famished."

Looking up at the grinning Gryffindor who held his hand out to him, Draco couldn't help but look into those glorious green eyes of his, grin back, and take his hand.


	3. Chapter 3

Of course, they weren't still holding hands when they reached the Great Hall, but a clear enough statement was made when they entered together anyway. The Gryffindor and the Slytherin parted ways with a wave, half of the now-quiet Great Hall watching one of them, half watching the other. After an awkward moment where the crowd realized nothing further was going to happen, however, the noise regained its everyday hustle, added to by family members and present-opening, for most parents ahd gotten their children graduation presents. Ron leaned over towards Harry once he was sure they weren't being overheard.

"So, what were you doing with that litle git, anyway?" he asked, though in light of recent events (aka the Battle of Hogwarts), he had lightened up on Malfoy and given him a break. It made Ron feel better to call him a git, though.

"Nothing," Harry replied with a slight smile on his face.

"Oh my gosh Harry!" Hermione suddenly squealed, startling Harry and Ron.

"What?" Ron asked, though Harry just squirmed at the way she was looking at him. She couldn't say anything further, however, for Dumbledore stood up to give his last meal speech to the graduating students.

"I know that we have been through a lot, you and I, students and teachers, through Quidditch matches, competitions like the TriWizard Cup, and, ah yes, that skirmish with You-know-who. Let us not forget that!" The room laughed, as if anyone could forget the fall of Voldemore just a mere month ago. "Miraculously, no one on our side was killed, though there were some seriously injured and mildly wounded. The destruction to the school has been easily repaired, but the d estruction to our lives cannot be as easily mended. Through all this, however, students stand here today, not to dwell on the past, but to focus on the future, for what a beautiful future it will now be! And with that... dig in!"

After thunderous applause, at which the teachers all grinned delightedly (ever Severus Snape managed a smile!), the Great Hall, which ahd been largened to accomodate everyone, erupted with the sounds and smells of breakfast.

Hermione continued to stare at Harry wonderously, though she didn't say anything. Ron looked confused, shook his head and started to eat, but Harry had a feeling that Hermione knew evactly what was going on between him and Draco.

His thoughts were interrupted by an enormous flock of owls descending on him, each carrying a moderately-sized package in its talons. Everyone around Harry, as if prepared beforehand, cleared their plates so that the owls could leave a large pile of presents in front of Harry. His jaw dropped when he saw that they were all addressed to him, some from students, some from teachers, some from Order members. Ron gave him a shove to dispel his friend from his shock.

"Come on, then, Harry, open them!" Harry tried to speak, but nothing really came out.

"B-but, I-I-I didn't get anyone anything!"

"Blimey, Harry, it's not like you don't deserve them," the Weasley twins said as they came up behind him.

"Besides, if you don't open them..." Fred said loudly.

"We will!" George finished.

Harry laughed, feeling immensely happy that he had all of these people around him.

"All right then!" He exclaimed, clapping his hands. "What's first?"

The tearing and ripping began.

From the twins, of course, he got a large basket of items from their shop. From Ron, candy. From Hermione, a book on creatures that was obviously something else entirely, with a list of spells on the inside cover to help figure it out. He's deal with that later. From Lupin and Tonks, he received a picture of them holding Teddy and looking happier than ever. From Sirius, the deed to 12 Grimmauld Place (which he couldn't believe until the man appeared and told him it was true himself, after which Harry almost cried). When he got to the last two packages, Harry paused for a moment. One simply said "To Harry Potter" with no way of knowing who it was from, while the other one said, "To Harry, from everyone" with an attached large rpesent that said, "Especially from Albus Dumbledore".

Harry decided to open the present from the unknown sender first. When he did, he was confused to see a blank, folded piece of paper. When he opened the paper, however, he found a little scrap of paper that read, "Lots of love, Lily". Harry's breathing stopped and he slowly looked towards the head table where a certain indifferent teacher sat with a gleam in his eye. A nod later, and Harry's breathing started up again. He reached for the last, double-packed, and opened the one that said, "from everyone" first.

It was a framed picture that he had found in 12 Grimmauld Place b ack when he, Ron and Hermione were hiding out there. It showed a little boy, Harry, zooming around on a little broomstick that his godfather Sirius had bought him. A tear came to his eye, and Harry could barely manage a heartfelt thank you, one that was heard throughout the silent, waiting Great Hall.

One present remained, from Dumbledore. When he unwrapped the plain, brown paper, he found a note attached to a box. The note said, "You deserve it".

Harry, with Ron's help, opened the plain-looking box, and stared, hardly hearing the gasps and whispers that were echoing throughout the room.

Sitting in front of him was the sword of Godric Gryffindor.

Harry gaped, then turned to look at the headmaster Albus Dumbledore, who was smiling at him with those serious eyes of his.

"I can't take this. It belongs to the school!" Harry cried out. "And besides, I'm not the only person who fought, you know. Technically, this sword belongs to everyone, not just me. Hand it up somewhere. Somewhere in the castle where everyone can see. This is not something for me.

There was silence as Dumbledore stared at Harry, thinking.

"You are a wise young man, Harry Potter, Your paretns would be proud of you." He clapped his hands once. "Well then! It is decided. The sword of Godric Gryffindor shall hang outside the Gryffindor Common Room, to commemorate those who had graced us with knowing them." Cheering ensued, over which Dumbledore called out, "We have a graduation to attend, don't we?"


	4. Chapter 4

The inhabitants of the Great Hall slowly emptied as everyone headed outside to where the ceremonies were being held. Ron waved as he headed off with the twins to be with his family, and beckoned to Harry and Hermione, whose parents couldn't attend. The duo replied that they'd join the Weasleys in a minute.

Harry winced as Hermione opened her mouth to speak.

"Harry, you like Draco, din't you?" She posed it as a question, but it came out more like a statement. Harry sighed.

"How did you know?"

"Well, for you, you walked into the Great Hall together, and you should want to rip his head off, but you don't. Second, when Ron asked you what you were doing with him, you had a cute little smile on your face and you blushed. Ah, there, you did it again!"

Harry covered his face shyly.

"Harry, it's ok! It's a good thing! You deserve someone who will make you happy after everything you've been through."

Harry took a breath to say something.

"And don't worry about what everyone will think. I mean, the students may judge, but we're graduating anyway, so... it doesn't matter. Everybody that matters will not care. Do you understand me? I'll talk to Ron, and he'll get over it. Now, unspell your real present." Harry complied, shocked at how Hermione seemed to be reading his mind.

The book was still a book, but instead of being just a random book on magical creatuers, the title read, "12 Ways to Get a Guy".

As he had many times over that day, Harry stared at the book, to Hermione,and back to the book.

"But how... you got this before... what is this?" Hermione laughed and shrugged.

"I had a feeling. As soon as I saw you guys enter the Great Hall, I spelled the book. Well, I speled the instructions into the book. If I was wrong, I wouldn't put the instructions in, and there would be no way for you to know that it was anything other than a boring magical creatures book."

Harry laughed.

"You know what? Let's go, Hermione. We've got big things ahead of us. This morning has been delayed for far too long." Laughing with him, Hermione followed Harry towards the hundreds and hundreds of seats on the grounds of Hogwarts, set up for witches and wizards from all over who had come to see Harry Potter and his battle-mates graduate.

Hermione got ahead of Harry and led him towards all of the people, a grin on her face. All of a sudden, they all stood up, turned towards Harry, and began to clap. The clapping soon became thunderous applause, and cheering of Harry's name over and over again. Hermione had to hold Harry up as tears finally overran his eyes and streamed down his face. He quickly wiped them away and grinned towards all of the people, then turned to Hermione.

"You did this for me?" he asked unbelievingly.

"With a little help from all of the professors."

Speaking of which, they were standing on a large stage, all of them in a line (even Hagrid). They all applauded with everyone else, Dumbledore in the middle dressed solely in white, McGonagall on his left in a deep purple, Severus Snape on his right in black, though the usually angry professor's face was graced with a slight smile as he looked at the progidy of the love of his life. Harry nodded to the man who had been his nemesis for so long, now proven to be a misunderstood hero. Graduation robes suddenyl appeared in Hermione's arms, and she handed Harr his before donning her own. They slipped into line with the rest of the Gryffindors and waited for the noise to die down.

"Ah, life," Dumbledore began, amplifying his voice with his wand. Immediately things got quiet. "I actually wasn't going anywhere with that, but it did get everyone to settle down, didn't it?" There was mild laughter and Professor McGonagall stepped forward to continue.

"Now, I'm sure that there are many nice things that we could say about these students, who have given so much for this school and have shown so much bravery, but there is a graduation we need to get to. So, starting with Gryffindor, let the ceremonies begin!"

McGonagall began calling out names in alphabetical order. From their group of friends, Hermione was called frist, then Neville and Luna. When Harry was called up, everybody cheered, the Weasley family somehow being the loudest. It made Harry grin to know that they were cheering for him as well as their family members. Sirius, Lupin, Tonks and little Teddy stood next to the wave of redheads, cheering as loud as they could, though barely audible over the crowd.

As Harry stood on stage, receiving his diploma from Albus Dumbledore himself, he couldn't help feeling peaceful for the first time in a long, long time. The sun radiated around him, and it felt like hands pressed down on his shoulders. In an instant, he knew that somehow, his paretns were there with him, and he could picture them even now; James, with his unruly black hair like his songs, grinning at him with a sunny smile; and Lily, beautiful Lily, smiling at him and flashing those bright green eyes of hers, so like Harry's. Harry could feel how proud they were of him, and he knew that they had been with him the entire time, through everything he'd been through with everyone else.

Harry knew they'd always be with him, and standing there with Dumbledore, his parents with him in spirit, the sun shining on him and everyone cheering for him, Harry knew that this would be the most important moment in his life.

*Author's Note - The most important thing, next to killing Voldemort, that is!*

Hope you liked it!


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